Coffee again was the vehicle to change my life. This time it would bring me in front of some of the best leaders in the world.
I was talking my friend Thom Cody about the goals we had for our lives. When he asked me about my goals I told him “I want to change the world.” Little did I know that admitting that, would actually help me change not just the world but my life.
Thom told me about a leadership camp that he was helping run called RYLA. I could tell his passion for the program by the way he talked about it.
RYLA is a youth-led leadership camp that is funded by Rotary. The goal of RYLA is to help participants of any age, embrace their talents and gifts to become the best leader, team member and person they could ever imagine.
Further into our conversation Thom asked me if I wanted to take over RYLA. I was speechless. I did not think I could ever come close to making the program as great as he did. I was confused as to why Thom would ask me when there were so many people that I believed would do such a better job than I ever could. Even with all of that, I said yes, and it changed my life.
Here is what it taught me:
1) Take on challenges you are not ready for: Life always presents us with opportunities that will change our lives and many times we believe that we are not ready for them. We let the list of excuses of why we are not ready drive our life. You only need one reason to say yes, focus on your passion. Your passion will drive you to be successful.
2) Do not underestimate your actions: I used to think that changing the world had to be on a big state I would always get frustrated because I never thought I was doing enough. In my role I work closely with 10-15 facilitators each year. If you look at this from the population of the world it does not seem like a lot and yet to those few people, it makes an impact.
We think of changing the world like a magic trick. That with some action everything in our lives will change and the world will be a better place. People change the world one person at a time.
3) Ask for help: You do not have to figure it all out by yourself. When you ask for help, it is not a sign that you do not care, it is a sign that you do care. You care so much that you are willing to admit that you do not know it all and you put the program, idea or impact ahead of yourself.
4) You are never too old: RYLA targets sophomores and juniors in high school. Every year there are a few brave Rotarians that attend. One of my favorite stories is of a man in his sixties that attended as a participant. He was open, willing to try new things and wanted to gain the most from the experience and because of this RYLA changed his life. It is not our age that determines when we stop living, it is our mindset.
5) Letting go means that you care: It is hard to let go of something that you love. It feels like you are giving up on it. While it may be true at times, letting go can be the biggest sign that you care. I witnessed this first hand when Thom handed off the program to me. He loved the program so much, that he wanted to see it grow. It does not mean that you suck as a leader, it means you realize that everyone has a unique gift they can bring.
6) Be who you be: The irony of it all is that while RYLA Is about embracing your own gifts and yet for the first few years, I tried to be just like Thom. I tried to do things the way he would and I failed at it. I never really felt like I was having an impact until I started leading my way. The world does not need another person you admire, it needs you.
7) Greatness comes from some of the lowest points in your life: I met Thom was that I was looking for a job after I graduated from college and moved back in with my parents. Thom knew my dad and offered to meet with me. If it had not been for that low point in my life, I never would have met Thom and I would not be lucky enough to take on a program that continues to change my life.
One of the greatest things this program has done for me is bring me closer to my friend Ashten. If you have ever met me or worked with me on a project you know that at times I can be all over the place, unorganized and a little crazy. Ashten was my partner in crime in making all of this happen. She has done a lot of the work that gets no glory and I am forever thankful to her for that. RYLA has brought us together not only as leaders but as friends. This is one of the greatest things RYLA has given me.
If you have a story about how five minutes changed your life that you would like to share, email adam.lofquist@gmail.com
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